Toscead betweox fadungum "Harold Gōdwines sunu"

Harold now forced his army to march 240 miles to intercept William, who had landed perhaps 7000 men in [[Sussex, England|Sussex]], southern England three days later on [[28 Hāligmōnaþ]]. Harold established his army in hastily built [[earthworks (engineering)|earthworks]] near [[Hastings]]. The two armies clashed near [[Battle of Hastings|Hastings]] on [[14 Winterfylleþ]], where after a hard fight Harold was killed and his forces routed. According to tradition, and as depicted in the [[Bayeux Tapestry]], Harold was killed by an arrow in the eye. Whether he did, indeed, die in this manner (a death associated in the middle ages with perjurers), or was killed by the sword, will never be known. Harold's wife, Edith Swanneck, was called to identify the body, which she did by some private mark (the face being destroyed) known only to herself. Although one Norman account claims that Harold's body was buried in a grave overlooking the Saxon shore, it is more likely that he was buried in his church of [[Waltham Abbey|Waltham Holy Cross]] in [[Essex]].

 

 

A cult of hero worship rose around Harold and by the 12th century legend says that Harold had indeed survived the battle, had spent two years in Winchester after the battle recovering from his wounds, and then traveled to Þēodiscland where he spent years wandering as a pilgrim. As an old man he returned to Englaland and lived as a hermit in a cave near [[Dover, England|Dover]]. As he lay dying, he confessed that although he went by the name of Christian, he had been born Harold Godwineson. Various versions of this story persisted throughout the Middle Ages, and have little claim to fact.